Page 52 of Saving Noah

When Cameron shrugged and smirked, Zach clenched his fists and tried to come up with one reason why he shouldn’t punch the asshole straight in his face. He was actually about to do it when Noah’s next words pulled him up short.

“Apparently you aren’t the only one calling me that…or are you?” Noah asked quietly. “That’s what’s on my note, isn’t it, Cameron? The person who left me that note called me Scaredy-Cat too.Youhave access to my locker downstairs.Youalso have access to my apartment. Tell me, Cam, just how much money did Moretti pay you to keep an eye on me…to drug me with meds I not only didn’t need but that contributed to my paranoia?” Noah made a tsking sound between his teeth. “Wow, Cameron, Moretti is going to be very disappointed in you for making such a grade school mistake. Do you know what Moretti does to people he’s disappointed in? Did you ever stop to think about that?” Shaking his head in disgust while laughing at the same time, Noah finished with, “You are so fucking dead, Cameron. He’s killed people for much less than that.”

Cameron shook his head frantically, his eyes darting back and forth between Zach and Noah like he was trying to determine where the biggest threat came from. He started edging toward the door as he said, “You’re crazy, Noah. I’m not involved with Moretti. I work with the FBI. It isn’t my fucking fault you’re a scaredy-cat and every fucking person that comes in contact with you knows it. So I used the same nickname? Big deal! If Moretti has been watching you closely, I’m sure he’s heard me call you that and couldn’t help but agree with the accuracy of it. It isn’t like you work very hard to keep it a fucking secret.”

Zach moved to block Cameron’s escape, causing the smaller man to shrink back to the other side of the room. He was so furious he wanted to rip Cameron’s heart out while it still beat. His fury, however, centered on the fact he was being so disrespectful to Noah, not because he was convinced Cameron was in bed with Moretti. Something didn’t feel right with Cameron making such a blatant mistake. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be hard to see the man joining Moretti if it put an extra buck in his pocket. He clearly had no morals whatsoever.

“Are you working with Moretti, Cameron? Think long and hard about your answer…because your very life may depend on it,” Zach warned.

Cameron literally huffed and stomped his foot in outrage. “I don’t have to put up with this bullshit. I work for the fucking FBI!” He turned and glared at Noah. “I almost felt sorry for you, Noah. It was heartbreaking to watch you whine and cry over losing the first man that’s paid you any attention in years. I’d thought about telling my FBI liaison that removing you from your safe place and Dr. Meadows was a bad idea. Now I don’t give a flying fuck what they do with you. Hell, I hope you spend the rest of your life trapped inside that sick little mind of yours.”

“What’s going on in here?” Connor’s booming voice jerked everybody’s attention in his direction. He stood in the doorway with Wayne standing directly behind him, their large bodies sending out an intimidating message to Cameron.

“Thank the fuck. You’re a cop, aren’t you?” Cameron asked as he started moving in Connor’s direction. “I want to leave here, but that idiot”—he motioned to Zach—“won’t let me pass. Do your civic duty and get me to safety,” he demanded in the uppity voice Zach knew he would have nightmares about for years to come.

Connor’s gaze flickered to Zach, to Noah, and then back to Cameron. “Why aren’t you letting him leave, Zach? You do realize he’s Noah’s liaison with the FBI, right?”

Cameron stomped his foot again. “Fuck, Noah! Is there anybody you didn’t tell? Jeezus, your identity was supposed to be a fucking secret. It’s no wonder Moretti found you.”

Connor’s brows raised in shock and then his eyes hardened as he contemplated what Cameron had just revealed. To Zach, he said, “What’s happened? Why do we think Moretti has found him?”

“Get me out of here, and I’ll explain everything to you,” Cameron promised. “Both the notes are in the kitchen. Let me show you.”

Cameron suddenly turned into Mr. Helpful, but everybody in the room knew it was only because he wanted to make his escape. He moved and as soon as he was close enough to reach Connor, he grabbed his bicep and wrapped his fingers tightly around him. Connor shrugged his hands off and glared down at him. “Touch me again, and I’ll forget all about the badge I carry.” He turned to Noah and asked, “Can you explain everything that has happened to you, Noah? I’d rather hear it from you than this idiot.”

“He isn’t leaving here,” Zach argued. “Not until I have some answers from him about his involvement with Moretti.” Zach took one step in Cameron’s direction, but Connor stopped him by holding up his hand.

“Let it go, Zach. Even if Cameron is working with Moretti, he’s also working with the FBI. They’ll handle his involvement if there is any. We’re about to have enough FBI heat coming down on us without adding his bullshit into the mix. Now, can you or Noah explain to me what has happened today? I’d love to escort this fuck out of here and not have to deal with him anymore.”

“Excuse me?” Cameron roared in outrage. “You can’t talk to me like that. I’m Noah’s guardian. I make all the decisions where he is concerned. You really don’t want to piss me off.”

Connor bumped his larger body against Cameron and said, “No, you really don’t want to piss us off, little man. The last time I checked, the FBI isn’t here to protect you right now. Don’t push your luck.”

Swallowing down a gulp, Cameron muttered, “You’re all going to regret this. You won’t get away with treating me like this,” he vowed.

“Wayne? Can you show our guest out?” Connor asked. “Don’t let him take anything with him. Zach and I will need to see all the evidence of what’s happened today.” Turning back to Zach, he said, “Does Noah need the paramedics any longer? They’re still waiting in the living room.”

“No. Noah’s fine now. I’m here.” He nodded to Cameron and said, “Get him the fuck out of my sight before I kill him with my bare hands.”

“My pleasure,” Wayne answered as he grabbed Cameron’s upper arm and started tugging him out the door and down the hall.

They could hear Cameron’s threats with every step Wayne hauled him. Sadly enough, both Zach and Connor knew they weren’t empty threats. Cameron, unfortunately, held the power to do a lot of damage, whether it be through Moretti or the FBI.

When Cameron and the paramedics had left the apartment, the four man gathered in the living room to discuss what had happened. Zach insisted on holding Noah in his lap while they sat on the oversized sofa, and for once, Noah didn’t argue. He huddled his smaller body against Zach like it was the anchor keeping him sane.

Connor pulled some gloves out of his pocket and handed them to Wayne. “Put these on and bring those notes over here. Let’s see what we’re up against.” While Wayne followed those orders, Connor looked at Zach and asked, “Are you okay, Zach? Noah and I are both going to need you to hold it together. We need to see the threats and then come up with a plan on how to handle Moretti and the FBI.”

“They’re going to try and make me go away, aren’t they?” Noah asked. “They’ll take me and nobody will ever know where I’m at.” He turned to Zach and pleaded, “Don’t let them do it, Zach. Please don’t let them do it.”

“You aren’t going anywhere, babe.” Zach looked up at Connor and said, “They can’t make him, can they?” Before Connor could answer, Zach plowed ahead and said, “Because if they can, Noah and I are going to disappear right the fuck now. I’m not going to let them take him, Connor. You know this, right? I need you to tell me what I should do next. I know how to hide, Conn.” His eyes darkened when he added, “You know everything I’m capable of. Let me protect him.”

Connor frowned. “The FBI will certainly want to move Noah, to get him to safety as quickly as possible. Maybe it’s the best thing, Zach? I…I don’t know if we can keep Noah safe from Moretti. The man is dangerous.”

“So. Am. I,” Zach answered firmly. “Anyway, the FBI hasn’t done such a bang-up job protecting him so far, has it? They’ve allowed an idiot to see to his medical needs and, for all we know, that same idiot is the very person who told Moretti where to find Noah. Forgive me for not putting my trust in the FBI at the moment,” he spat.

“I don’t have to go,” Noah interrupted. “They told me at the very beginning that I didn’t have to enter the protective custody program if I didn’t want to. Since I didn’t have anything or anybody to keep me where I was, I decided entering the program was best for me.” He touched the side of Zach’s face with his hand. “Now I have something to want to stay around for, to fight for. They can’t make me go. When I panicked with Cameron, I hadn’t really stopped long enough to consider I wouldn’t have to go, that they couldn’t force me to do anything.”

“Is that true, Conn? Can he refuse protective custody?”

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